Routine eye care is a staple of good health care. A basic eye exam as part of an annual health check-up schedule should be nearly automatic. A simple annual exam will leave the person confident that one of our most precious senses is being safe-guarded for the future. At some point during their lifetimes, people may require some more specialized services from their eye care practitioners.
Whether their needs are as simple as a pair of reading glasses, or something more complex like LASIK surgery, there are many very qualified doctors, surgeons, and optometrists available to help. For example, conducting a Google search for “
eye doctor in Austin TX” will return more than 300,000 listings. Obviously prospective clients will want to narrow that search somehow. They might utilize one of the many sites that search by zip code, they can check with friends and family for recommendations, or they can check one of the eye doctor directories available online.
Most eye care specialists offer a contact lens exam as a regular in-office service—there’s no need to look for another more specialized practitioner. Contact lenses do need specific measurements to ensure proper fit, so the measurements will be taken by the eye doctor or one of his assistants. Contacts have seen huge advances since they were introduced in the early 1960’s. Early lenses were hard, fragile disks that popped in and out (sometimes without provocation), they had to be sterilized nightly, and could irritate the eye surface. They were primarily available only to people with standard vision issues like near or far sightedness. Today, lenses come in many natural-looking colors, they are oxygen and water-based. The new materials are breathable and therefore more comfortable, some can be worn overnight, and some are available in disposable models. Looking forward, scientists are currently working on lenses to correct problems like color-blindness and dyslexia.
For a more permanent fix for vision problems, LASIK surgery has become both more available and more affordable in recent years. In this procedure, the
LASIK surgeon shaves small layers away from the cornea to reshape it. The procedure is done as out-patient day surgery with the patient awake the whole time. Results are dramatic, and often can be recognized in less than 24 hours. While laser surgery may seem like it has reached its peak, research is on-going.
If an eye care specialist suspects that a patient has glaucoma, he/she may refer the client to a glaucoma specialist. These practitioners are subject to additional training and residency to study this very common disease of the eye. Since glaucoma has no noticeable symptoms, and it is the second most frequent cause of blindness in this country, early diagnosis and treatment are essential. While all eye doctors study glaucoma during their medical school training, it can be difficult to diagnose and treat. Specialists offer full-care services to glaucoma patients; from diagnosis to surgery, to post-op care they form a bond and a partnership with their patients to ensure the best possible results.
About the Author: Larry Milton has written extensively about the optometry profession and enjoys informing individuals about latest developments in this field
